Mobile home porch

ABSTRACT

A portable porch for use with a mobile home having a flat deck surrounded by removable railing members, the flat deck being slidably attached to the frame of the trailer in a lateral direction to assist in positioning the deck in abutting relation with the mobile home, the porch having a secondary function as a conventional flat bed trailer.

United States Patent [1 7 Greenburg 1 Aug. 7, 1973 MOBILE HOME PORCH[76] Inventor: Jesse J. Greenburg, 506 W. 5th St.,

' Solomon, Kans. 67 480 [22] Filed: June 8, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 260,739

[52] US. CL, 52/64, 52/143, 52/182, 280/34 R [51] Int. Cl. B60r 27/00[58] Field of Search 52/143, 182, 183, 52/64, 79; 280/34 R, 163; 214/38B, 38 BB [56] References Cited UNlTED STATES PATENTS 9/1939 Stetson52/143 X 6/1941 Webster 52/79 3,195,190 7/1965 Malo 52/79 X 3,348,34510/1967 Byers et al 3,578,110 5/1971 Seagraves 3,605,351 9/ 1 971Vredevoogd 3,608,951 9/1971 Jackson 52/64 X Primary Examiner-Price C.Faw, Jr. Attorney-Miller & Brown [57] ABSTRACT A portable porch for usewith a mobile home having a flat deck surrounded by removable railingmembers, the flat deck being slidably attached to the frame of thetrailer in a lateral direction toassist in positioning the deck inabutting relation with the mobile home, the porch having a secondaryfunction as a conventional flat bed trailer.

0 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures MOBILE HOME PORCH BACKGROUND OF THEINVENTION SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides asubstantial porch and step structure which is highly mobile in that itis surround the lateral members 28. The lateral frame members 28 have aseries of longitudinally spaced holes 32 therein, as seen in FIG. 4, forreceipt of locking pins 34 which pass through the brackets 30, allowingthe deck to be adjustably positioned laterally with respect to the frame16 of the trailer.

Attached to the trailer frame 16 is a conventional single axle 35 havingconventional springs 36 and rubber tired wheels 37. Extending from theforward end of lower longitudinal members 20 is a conventional hitchyoke structure 38 having an adjustable height support wheel 39 which isretracted during transit. Enclosing the bottom of the frame structure 16is a bottom panel carried on the frame of a two-wheel trailer. Intransit,

the porch structure functions as a conventional flat bed trailer forhauling any type of item such as the permanent support structure for themobile home, and its removable apron which encloses the under space ofthe trailer. The porch structure is simply located by merely positioningthe trailer in side-by-side relation with the mobile home and thensliding the deck of the porch laterally on the trailer until it comes incontact-with the mobile home. The deck is then looked in place and thejacks at each corner of the porch are lowered into contacting relationwith the ground while the stair structure is pivoted downward intocontact with the ground.

It is therefore the principal object of the present invention to providea mobile porch and stair structure for use with mobile homes.

Another object of the'present invention is to provide a portable porchstructure having a secondary function as a flat bed trailer to assist inhousehold moving.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a mobile porchstructure for mobile home use which is readily adaptable to a variety ofconfigurations and uses.

The invention and its various objects and advantages will be moreclearly understood when the following description is read in connectionwith the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. I is a perspective view of the porch in position adjacent a mobilehome;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the porch trailer;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along lines 3 3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view of the under side of the deck;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary exploded view of the trailer and itsaccompanying steps and railing;

FIG. 6 is a rear end view of the trailer; and

FIG. 7 is a front end view of the trailer.

Referring to the drawings for a detailed description of the inventionand more specifically to FIG. 1, the

mobile porch trailer is generally identified by reference.-

numeral 10, positioned in place adjacent a conventional mobile hometrailer 12. The porch trailer 10 includes a flat deck 14 supported on asteel frame structure l6which provides the structural integrity to theoverall porch trailer 10. The frame 16 is of a welded construction, thesides of the frame are made up of the porch deck 14 are removablerailing sections 52 and 54 which have extension portions 56 which extendinto the porch deck 14.

Pivotally attached to the front end of the porch deck is a stairstructure 58 which includes step treads 60, side members 62 and handrailings 64. The step structure 58 is pivotally mounted to the deck bybolt members 66 which can be readily removed for storage, as seen inFIG. 5. Positioned at the two rear corners of the frame structure 16 aremechanical jack members 70 (FIG. 2) which are utilized to support theframe once the porch trailer 10 is in its stationary position. While notshown, an additional pair of jack members 70 could be located at theforward corners of the frame structure 16 in place of the hitch supportwheel 39.

OPERATION When the porch trailer is in its mobile configuration fortravel on the highways, the deck 14 is centrally positioned with respectto the frame member 16 in a locked position by bolts 34. The rear porchrailing 52 and side railings 54 function as removable trailer sides forconfining the load carried on the trailer. The step structure 58 canalso be used as a trailer side when the hand rails 64 are removed andthe step structure 58 is pivoted upward to a locked vertical position,not shown in the drawings. The porch trailer 10 has an additionalenclosed storage compartment 48 centrally disposed within the framestructure 16 which can be reached through doors 46 and located at thefront and rear of the trailer.

When the mobile home 12 and accompanying trailer 10 reach the home site,the mobile home is first leveled and blocked at its various supportingpoints so that the load is removed from the wheels. The porch trailer 10is then pulled along side the door 11 of the mobile home in fairly closeproximity thereto. The locking pins upper and lower longitudinal members'18 and 20 rea 34 are then removed and the porch deck 14 is slidlaterally on the frame structure T6 to the dotted line position, as seenin FIG. 3. Once the edge of the deck comes in contact with the mobilehome, the locking pin 34 is again inserted in bracket 30 to hold thedeck rigidly in place. The jacks are then adjusted to level the porchdeck and vertically position it with respect to the vertical height ofthe mobile home (born. The step structure is than pivoted downward intocontact with the ground and the hand-railings 64 arepositioned at eachside thereof to provide a completed structure. While not shown in thedrawings, an apron wall can be placed around the periphery of the deck14 so as to hide the frame structure 16 and wheels 37 of the trailerfrom view, as quite often done with mobile homes. While not shown in thedrawings, a porch roof can also be placed above the deck 14, held inplace by a modified form of railing sections 54. When in the stationaryposition, the compartment 48 provides an additional weather proofstorage compartment which is normally in great need with mobile homes.

Having described the invention with sufficient clarity to enable thosefamiliar with the art to construct and use it, I claim:

1. A portable porch for use with mobile homes when stationary, and as atrailer when in transit comprising:

a flat deck;

a rectangular frame structure supporting the deck,

including longitudinal members and lateral members;

at least one wheel carrying axle and hitch means carried by said frame;

coupling means attaching the deck to the lateral members of the frameallowing the deck to slide laterally on the frame; and

releasable locking means holding the deck from sliding on the lateralmembers during transit of the portable porch.

2. A portable porch as set forth in claim 1, including removable railingmeans positioned around the periphery of said deck which also functionsas trailer sides.

3. A portable porch as set forth in claim 1, wherein the coupling meansis a bracket fastened to the deck having an opening therein allowing thelateral members to slide therethrough.

4. A portable porch as set forth in claim 1, wherein the coupling meansis a bracket fastened to the deck having an opening therein allowing thelateral members to slide therethrough, the lateral members beingpositioned at the front and rear of the deck in supporting relationthereof.

5. A portable porch as set forth in claim 1, wherein the frame structurehas a three dimensional box shape and is enclosed on all sides andbottom by wall panels to form a storage compartment within the framestructure.

6. A portable porch as set forth in claim 1, including a step meanspivotally attached to the edge of the deck whereby the step means can bepivoted downward until it contacts the ground.

7. A portable porch as set forth in claim 1, wherein the coupling meansis a bracket fastened to the under side of the deck having an openingtherein allowing the lateral members to slide therethrough, thereleasable locking means being integral with said coupling means forholding the deck from sliding on the lateral members during transit ofthe portable porch.

8. A portable porch as set forth in claim 1, wherein the frame structurehas a three dimensional box shape having upper and lower longitudinalmembers spaced apart by vertical frame members.

1. A portable porch for use with mobile homes when stationary, and as atrailer when in transit comprising: a flat deck; a rectangular framestructure supporting the deck, including longitudinal members andlateral members; at least one wheel carrying axle and hitch meanscarried by said frame; coupling means attaching the deck to the lateralmembers of the frame allowing the deck to slide laterally on the frame;and releasable locking means holding the deck from sliding on thelateral members during transit of the portable porch.
 2. A portableporch as set forth in claim 1, including removable railing meanspositioned around the periphery of said deck which also functions astrailer sides.
 3. A portable porch as set forth in claim 1, wherein thecoupling means is a bracket fastened to the deck having an openingtherein allowing the lateral members to slide therethrough.
 4. Aportable porch as set forth in claim 1, wherein the coupling means is abracket fastened to the deck having an opening therein allowing thelateral members to slide therethrough, the lateral members beingpositioned at the front and rear of the deck in supporting relationthereof.
 5. A portable porch as set forth in claim 1, wherein the framestructure has a three dimensional box shape and is enclosed on all sidesand bottom by wall panels to form a storage compartment within the framestructure.
 6. A portable porch as set forth in claim 1, including a stepmeans pivotally attached to the edge of the deck whereby the step meanscan be pivoted downward until it contacts the ground.
 7. A portableporch as set forth in claim 1, wherein the coupling means is a bracketfastened to the under side of the deck having an opening thereinallowing the lateral members to slide therethrough, the releasablelocking means being integral with said coupling means for holding thedeck from sliding on the lateral members during transit of the portableporch.
 8. A portable porch as set forth in claim 1, wherein the framestructure has a three dimensional box shape having upper and lowerlongitudinal members spaced apart by vertical frame members.